DISNEY XD TO PREMIERE “FORT BOYARD – ULTIMATE CHALLENGE,” A REALITY ADVENTURE SERIES ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 17
Geno Segers (Disney XD’s “Pair of Kings”) and popular British television presenter Laura Hamilton (“Dancing On Ice”) host an exciting competition requiring brainpower, courage and teamwork, “Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge,” a 10-part series premiering MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT), with a thrilling finale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Based on the international game show phenomenon “Fort Boyard,” the series is set in a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France. It introduces six teams — 24 teens from the United States and the United Kingdom — who team up for a tournament where only one team will ultimately get the key to unlock the historic fort’s hidden treasures and win the honor of calling themselves “the conquerors of Fort Boyard.”
The reality adventure series marks the first kids’ version of the popular game show which premiered more than 20 years ago and has since been produced in over 38 countries worldwide.
In the premiere episode, team members from the Red Vipers and Yellow Scorpions compete in the first round of challenges to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort.
“Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge” is produced by Zodiak Media Group’s production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original “Fort Boyard” and have been producing the series for 22 years.
The executive producers are Nigel Pickard and Ged Allen for The Foundation, Pierre Godde for Adventure Line Productions and Jamila Metran for CiTV. The producer is Steve Pinhay.
The series will be televised on Disney XD cable and satellite channels around the world (excluding France and the Nordics) and CiTV in the UK.
About “Fort Boyard”
“Fort Boyard” is the most successful adventure game show in the world, having sold to over 30 territories, while dominating France 2′s primetime summer schedule every year since 1990. The action takes place in an imposing fortress built in the middle of the ocean. This provides the perfect backdrop for strenuous, against-the-clock physical challenges and mind-boggling riddles, featuring strange characters and fearsome animals. All this and more awaits those attempting to reach the Treasure Room! Only the fittest and most intelligent contestants can hope to conquer Fort Boyard.
About Disney XD:
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., disney channel XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 22 other Disney XD Games channels around the world.
Thứ Hai, 12 tháng 12, 2011
Thứ Sáu, 9 tháng 12, 2011
WeTopia on Facebook: Spreading joy to the globe that you can see
Shortly after the dawn of social games, their capacity for doing good has been tested ever since. The bigger companies simply run charity events that donate a couple hundred thousand dollars to Cause A or B, never really displaying their impact. Smaller companies have built entire games around the concept, some of which more successful than others. New York-based Sojo Studios hopes to have cracked the code to social games for good that both make a difference and are fun to play.
This is WeTopia, the developer's first game designed to get players to do good, see that good in action and enjoy themselves while doing it. While the game touts some impressive artwork, it doesn't look like much more than your standard city-building game in vein of CityVille. Players are tasked with turning a sad excuse for a city of children into a thriving metropolis with homes, shops, playgrounds, schools and more. Of course, players are guided through quests and governed by energy.
WeTopia in action
Again, this is typical social game stuff. But consider the gameplay a shiny set piece to WeTopia's real goal: helping children. Nearly everything players do in the game produces Joy, a resource that can only be used in the Joy Central located in every player's WeTopia. You can (and should) then use this resource to "Give Joy" to any one of three charities through Joy Central. (We're told that Sojo Studios has already partnered with 12 charities vetted through a 20-criteria process.)
When spread to these charities, Joy increases the actual funding those charities receive through what WeTopia earns via a combination of advertising dollars and direct profits from in-game purchases using Facebook Credits. Through this, Sojo Studios will give away 50 percent of all profits (and no less than 20 percent of its revenue) to the charities it partners with. Once a charity or cause receives 100 percent Joy, that effort is fully funded. While that number will be smaller at the start, as this is a new venture for CEO Lincoln Brown, it's unprecedented nevertheless. Of course, friends can send extra Joy to one another.
Gallery: WeTopia on Facebook
"We really studied the psychological triggers for how people relate to giving in a way and in an interface that they can relate to and want to engage with," Brown tells us. "And you don't ever want to overwhelm people with it. It hit me at that point that [players] want the fantasy, to be able to escape and have fun while still doing good. So, the idea for WeTopia hit me, which is we come together to build a better world for children. But it's children of all backgrounds. If you've ever been to Disney World and been on the ride It's a Small World, it's kind of similar to that."
That said, WeTopia does allow players to directly purchase in-game items and boosts to energy, but they'll all soon be attached to real world items that will be given to children. For instance, if you purchase a special tree or a pair of glasses in the game with Facebook Credits, perhaps a school will have a tree planted or a child will receive a new pair of glasses, respectively. The first instance of which is similar to the Tom's Shoes movement: Players can buy a Sole Square decoration for 4 Facebook Credits, and Soles for Souls will provide one pair of shoes to a child in need.
WeTopia Joy Central
WeTopia also addresses the common disconnect between doing good and seeing the good you do take effect. At any point, players can access a world map that will, in time, show the progress of every charity WeTopia is attached to and its progress. Better yet, every charity has its own Facebook fan page that players can interact with as teams on site in locations throughout the US, Haiti and soon Africa update said pages with photos, videos and blogs detailing their progress. WeTopia has even garnered support from the celebrity world: Ellen Degeneres is on board.
"I am so proud to be involved with WeTopia," said DeGeneres in a release. "You know when you hear about an idea and you instantly fall in love with it? That's how I felt when I heard about WeTopia spreading joy to people around the world. It's kinda the same way I felt about Pajama Jeans, only more so."
Based on an early look at the game with Brown as our guide, WeTopia looks like it might just have cracked the code to social games for good that are actually fun to play. But more importantly, this social game increases the connection between the donators and those in need, displaying their impact for all to see and share. Here's to hoping WeTopia succeeds where many have failed on Facebook.
Click here to play WeTopia on Facebook Now >
Have you ever donated to charity through a social game? Do you think WeTopia looks like a sound answer to failed social games for good?
This is WeTopia, the developer's first game designed to get players to do good, see that good in action and enjoy themselves while doing it. While the game touts some impressive artwork, it doesn't look like much more than your standard city-building game in vein of CityVille. Players are tasked with turning a sad excuse for a city of children into a thriving metropolis with homes, shops, playgrounds, schools and more. Of course, players are guided through quests and governed by energy.
WeTopia in action
Again, this is typical social game stuff. But consider the gameplay a shiny set piece to WeTopia's real goal: helping children. Nearly everything players do in the game produces Joy, a resource that can only be used in the Joy Central located in every player's WeTopia. You can (and should) then use this resource to "Give Joy" to any one of three charities through Joy Central. (We're told that Sojo Studios has already partnered with 12 charities vetted through a 20-criteria process.)
When spread to these charities, Joy increases the actual funding those charities receive through what WeTopia earns via a combination of advertising dollars and direct profits from in-game purchases using Facebook Credits. Through this, Sojo Studios will give away 50 percent of all profits (and no less than 20 percent of its revenue) to the charities it partners with. Once a charity or cause receives 100 percent Joy, that effort is fully funded. While that number will be smaller at the start, as this is a new venture for CEO Lincoln Brown, it's unprecedented nevertheless. Of course, friends can send extra Joy to one another.
Gallery: WeTopia on Facebook
"We really studied the psychological triggers for how people relate to giving in a way and in an interface that they can relate to and want to engage with," Brown tells us. "And you don't ever want to overwhelm people with it. It hit me at that point that [players] want the fantasy, to be able to escape and have fun while still doing good. So, the idea for WeTopia hit me, which is we come together to build a better world for children. But it's children of all backgrounds. If you've ever been to Disney World and been on the ride It's a Small World, it's kind of similar to that."
That said, WeTopia does allow players to directly purchase in-game items and boosts to energy, but they'll all soon be attached to real world items that will be given to children. For instance, if you purchase a special tree or a pair of glasses in the game with Facebook Credits, perhaps a school will have a tree planted or a child will receive a new pair of glasses, respectively. The first instance of which is similar to the Tom's Shoes movement: Players can buy a Sole Square decoration for 4 Facebook Credits, and Soles for Souls will provide one pair of shoes to a child in need.
WeTopia Joy Central
WeTopia also addresses the common disconnect between doing good and seeing the good you do take effect. At any point, players can access a world map that will, in time, show the progress of every charity WeTopia is attached to and its progress. Better yet, every charity has its own Facebook fan page that players can interact with as teams on site in locations throughout the US, Haiti and soon Africa update said pages with photos, videos and blogs detailing their progress. WeTopia has even garnered support from the celebrity world: Ellen Degeneres is on board.
"I am so proud to be involved with WeTopia," said DeGeneres in a release. "You know when you hear about an idea and you instantly fall in love with it? That's how I felt when I heard about WeTopia spreading joy to people around the world. It's kinda the same way I felt about Pajama Jeans, only more so."
Based on an early look at the game with Brown as our guide, WeTopia looks like it might just have cracked the code to social games for good that are actually fun to play. But more importantly, this social game increases the connection between the donators and those in need, displaying their impact for all to see and share. Here's to hoping WeTopia succeeds where many have failed on Facebook.
Click here to play WeTopia on Facebook Now >
Have you ever donated to charity through a social game? Do you think WeTopia looks like a sound answer to failed social games for good?
Zynga CEO Mark Pincus doesn't like it when fans play for too long
Right. During an interview with MIT's Technology Review, FarmVille creator Zynga's CEO Mark Pincus said, "I don't like it when I find out that people are averaging long session times in any of our games. All of the newer games that we bring out are trying to reduce those session times. Because one of the biggest reasons people don't play games is they say that they don't have the time."
According to Technology Review, this comment was made before the CityVille maker agreed to a quiet period prior to its upcoming initial public offering (IPO). The butt of that quote may be true, but Pincus's words strike us as odd. They're especially odd considering the not-so-tiny 5 percent of paying players--about 54 million people--is likely the crop of players that spend the most time in games like Adventure World and CastleVille.
Technology Review says that the burst-style gameplay of its games can spur players to eventually pay up, quoting one player in particular that plays up to four hours daily in short 15-minute spurts. "You start spending time playing a game, and you find that you care about it for any host of reasons, if we [design] it well," Pincus told Technology Review, "and at some point you may see that by spending some money you can save yourself a bunch of time [or] get something that has status or changes your friends' view of you."
Sure, these in-game boosts can save players time, but they can also serve to keep players in-game for longer. The more virtual items bought outright, the less energy spent on procuring them, and thus more time spent doing other things in the game. This writer is willing to bet that the average whale, a casino term used to describe social gamers that spend large amounts of money, spends way more time than the average player that throws up maybe a few bucks a week. And we're sure Zynga likes them just teeny, tiny bit more.
Would you consider yourself a "whale" or know someone that might be a whale? How much time do you or they spend playing Facebook games daily
According to Technology Review, this comment was made before the CityVille maker agreed to a quiet period prior to its upcoming initial public offering (IPO). The butt of that quote may be true, but Pincus's words strike us as odd. They're especially odd considering the not-so-tiny 5 percent of paying players--about 54 million people--is likely the crop of players that spend the most time in games like Adventure World and CastleVille.
Technology Review says that the burst-style gameplay of its games can spur players to eventually pay up, quoting one player in particular that plays up to four hours daily in short 15-minute spurts. "You start spending time playing a game, and you find that you care about it for any host of reasons, if we [design] it well," Pincus told Technology Review, "and at some point you may see that by spending some money you can save yourself a bunch of time [or] get something that has status or changes your friends' view of you."
Sure, these in-game boosts can save players time, but they can also serve to keep players in-game for longer. The more virtual items bought outright, the less energy spent on procuring them, and thus more time spent doing other things in the game. This writer is willing to bet that the average whale, a casino term used to describe social gamers that spend large amounts of money, spends way more time than the average player that throws up maybe a few bucks a week. And we're sure Zynga likes them just teeny, tiny bit more.
Would you consider yourself a "whale" or know someone that might be a whale? How much time do you or they spend playing Facebook games daily
MakaziVille: The Duggars' bizarre, possibly racist take on mission work
Finally, we can carry out our missionary work from the comfort of our sweatpants and cushy couches. The Duggar family--you know, the one on TLC's 19 Kids and Counting?--have launched a social game with The Seed Company, founded by Wycliffe Bible Translators. It's called MakaziVille, and it's designed to help translate the Bible into new languages for the ... uninitiated.
According to a video narrated by The Duggars' own Josiah Duggar, the game will task players with building an African village. Well, that and delivering the good news of God to its people. (Or, depending on how you look at it, indoctrinating them with Western beliefs.) The trailer for the game even ends with an animated African man sporting a terribly overemphasized accent.
MakaziVille will feature mini games that look to be nods to classic arcade games but with a decidedly ethnic twist. One game in particular, "To The Market," (pictured) has players send what looks like an African man or woman into oncoming traffic Frogger-style for baskets of fruit. Amidst the racially-charged gameplay, players will be able to do "Devotions", which look like praises to the Bible's word(?).
Most importantly--to the Duggars, at least--your work in the game will somehow help translate the Bible to "see how God's word can change a village," according to Josiah Duggar. Christian games are nothing new to the web or even Facebook, but MakaziVille certainly sets a precedent. Well, more like a forewarning.
[Via Crushable]
Are you a fan of Christian-themed social games? What do you think of MakaziVille, based on this initial trailer?
According to a video narrated by The Duggars' own Josiah Duggar, the game will task players with building an African village. Well, that and delivering the good news of God to its people. (Or, depending on how you look at it, indoctrinating them with Western beliefs.) The trailer for the game even ends with an animated African man sporting a terribly overemphasized accent.
MakaziVille will feature mini games that look to be nods to classic arcade games but with a decidedly ethnic twist. One game in particular, "To The Market," (pictured) has players send what looks like an African man or woman into oncoming traffic Frogger-style for baskets of fruit. Amidst the racially-charged gameplay, players will be able to do "Devotions", which look like praises to the Bible's word(?).
Most importantly--to the Duggars, at least--your work in the game will somehow help translate the Bible to "see how God's word can change a village," according to Josiah Duggar. Christian games are nothing new to the web or even Facebook, but MakaziVille certainly sets a precedent. Well, more like a forewarning.
[Via Crushable]
Are you a fan of Christian-themed social games? What do you think of MakaziVille, based on this initial trailer?
Game of the Day: SteerWheels 3
SteerWheels 3 is an action-packed, puzzle-oriented, physics game. You'll have to use your wheels to move the yellow ball to the yellow finish line.
Though it sounds simple, with all the hazards and obstacles SteerWheels 3 can be very tricky at higher levels. Trap doors, teleporters, loops, and jumps populate the challenging levels. You'll need to think carefully, delicately move your SteerWheels, and precisely control the yellow ball to move it to the finish. I think you folks are up for the challenge, give it your best shot!
Click here to play SteerWheels 3!
steerwheels 3 game of the day steerwheels 3 game of the day
What level were you able to get to in SteerWheels 3?
Though it sounds simple, with all the hazards and obstacles SteerWheels 3 can be very tricky at higher levels. Trap doors, teleporters, loops, and jumps populate the challenging levels. You'll need to think carefully, delicately move your SteerWheels, and precisely control the yellow ball to move it to the finish. I think you folks are up for the challenge, give it your best shot!
Click here to play SteerWheels 3!
steerwheels 3 game of the day steerwheels 3 game of the day
What level were you able to get to in SteerWheels 3?
Black Friday proves that gamers still love their Mario, Zelda--er, Link
Super Mario 3D Land is the fastest-selling portable Mario game in history on a device that's supposedly in hot water. If that doesn't demonstrate the power of the portly, platforming plumber, nothing will. Nintendo revealed recent sales figures of its most recently-released games, both of which are the fastest-selling in their respective franchises.
Nintendo sold over 500,000 copies of Super Mario 3D Land since its Nov. 11 release and 535,000 discs packing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword since it landed on Nov. 20. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said to USA Today that these two games alone drove sales of both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii consoles. For instance, 3DS sales tripled last week ( a 325 percent increase), compared to sales the week before the game's release. The Wii also enjoyed record Black Friday sales with more than 500,000 consoles sold.
"We know that Black Friday and that entire week is a key selling week, and it is important for products like ours to have a jump in momentum, and we were fortunate to see that," Fils-Aime told USA Today. "For us, it really was driven by unique and powerful software and what gives us confidence is that we still have more software to launch in the balance of this holiday period."
The Mario maker still has yet another Mario game set to hit the 3DS--Mario Kart 7 hits Dec. 4--which could help sustain the enormous 3DS sales. Fils-Aime did say to us that content is what will make the 3DS a success, and it looks like the 3DS has found its system-seller. The question is, will Mario be enough pull the 3DS from out of the kettle?
[Image Credit: Nintendo of America]
Did you pick up a 3DS or Super Mario 3D Land over the weekend? Do you think, based on sales like these, that the 3DS still has a chance in the portable gaming space?
Nintendo sold over 500,000 copies of Super Mario 3D Land since its Nov. 11 release and 535,000 discs packing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword since it landed on Nov. 20. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said to USA Today that these two games alone drove sales of both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii consoles. For instance, 3DS sales tripled last week ( a 325 percent increase), compared to sales the week before the game's release. The Wii also enjoyed record Black Friday sales with more than 500,000 consoles sold.
"We know that Black Friday and that entire week is a key selling week, and it is important for products like ours to have a jump in momentum, and we were fortunate to see that," Fils-Aime told USA Today. "For us, it really was driven by unique and powerful software and what gives us confidence is that we still have more software to launch in the balance of this holiday period."
The Mario maker still has yet another Mario game set to hit the 3DS--Mario Kart 7 hits Dec. 4--which could help sustain the enormous 3DS sales. Fils-Aime did say to us that content is what will make the 3DS a success, and it looks like the 3DS has found its system-seller. The question is, will Mario be enough pull the 3DS from out of the kettle?
[Image Credit: Nintendo of America]
Did you pick up a 3DS or Super Mario 3D Land over the weekend? Do you think, based on sales like these, that the 3DS still has a chance in the portable gaming space?
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
The Godfather: Five Families on Facebook puts friendly ties to the test
Thanks to a partnership with Paramount Digital Entertainment, the developer will pay homage to the Academy Award-winning film trilogy in the only way it knows: intense, constant competition. (And, in this case, tested friendships.) The Godfather: Five Families throws players into the Prohibition Era of our fine nation's history with the initial choice to join one of five families--just like in the movies--and vie to become the dominant family in New York.
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